Everyday

This video just makes me want to hug someone. I hope you like it.


Suz

Jeep Update #2 - Sunday 10/28/12

Saturday we checked the compression on each cylinder, 125 on the hand held gage. I found out what the coil does, in the process, it puts about 30,000 volts in to your left arm if you are touching it as you check the compression. Dad turned over the engine to get the reading and my left hand was on the coil. OUCH!

Sunday 10/28/12 -- Engine pulling day! We removed the drive line, radiator, disconnected the manifold, disconnected the battery, starter, distributor cap, etc.

The radiator is out. I forget what Dad was working on...

We were trying to get the manifold bolts out. Got a little dirty at this point.

Decided to remove the fenders and the front end before we pulled the engine.

It looks ALMOST new!!!

Just that easy, the engine is out. We started working at 11 AM today and got the engine out around 5 PM. :) Also removed the transmission from the engine.

Trying to get it to mount on the engine stand, but that wasn't going to happen today since we didn't have the correct bolts.

Just about done for the day. A little clean up and Suzanne was still able to park in the garage.

Jeep Update #1

I talked to Dad about the Jeep, he's willing to help me rebuild the engine.  Last weekend Joe dropped off the A Frame so we could start to pull the engine.  A few items to take care of before that...

Progress, its on stands.

 

Lot's O Miles.

 

Nice and clean on the inside.

 

Some of the rust I was talking about. I think we will need some new fenders. 

Official USPS Maintenance Logs. This is on the right side above the driver's door.

So I bought a Postal Jeep....

The mail carrier in Wellsville, Utah listed it on KSL.com for $750. She was having a hard time driving the jeep since it did not have power stearing or power anything. She upgraded to a Subaru a few months ago.

It's a 1976 Postal Jeep with at least 300,000 miles.  It has a "little" rust and is spitting oil out the tail pipe.

Moon Setting Aug 20th

Eric took this photo of the moon right about when it was setting, approximately 9:00 tonight. There's been a ton of smoke in the valley from fires in neighboring states.

Hee-Hee

You've seen the backside of water and now here is the backside of M.J.

First California Spot

We stopped at an In-N-Out in Barstow for lunch and got cheeseburgers.

Japanese Dock Reaches Agate Beach, Oregon

Suzanne and Emily were on hand to help scrape stuff off the dock.

To read more about the Japanese Dock that reached Agate Beach check out this story from NPR.

Depoe Bay

We tried to go out whale watching in Depoe Bay but they said when there are "sheep," a.k.a. white caps, on the ocean they don't recommend going out and the last trip out they couldn't find any whales. Instead of whale watching we went thru the shark and whale museum and then stopped at the Devil's Punchbowl and Agate Beach, where the dock from Japan washed up. 

The clouds over Agate Beach.

Japanese dock at Agate Beach.

The Devil's Punchbowl.

Mo's clam chowder at the little cafe right at the Devil's Punchbowl!

Tillamook

This rainy, foggy day we followed the Pacific Coast Highway to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The weather didn't affect Em's Starlight Mint or my Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream cones.

"Don't run with our cheddar, it's very sharp." -Tillamook ad

The GPS directed us along the scenic route, through the forest, back to Seaside but, we have still not spotted Sasquatch.

Columbia River Highway and Waterfalls

We spent our first day in Oregon with Mike, Loretta and Ludwig following the Historic Columbia River Highway and Scenic Waterfalls route. We stopped at the Vista House near Gresham, Oregon to start.

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Vista House

Loretta, Mike, Ludwig and Emily

Ludwig adjusted the shutter speed on my camera so I was able to get some neat photos of the waterfalls. After the tour, Mike and Loretta took us to lunch at a cool diner overlooking the river and gorge, where the marion berry pie was all tangy-berry goodness!

 Multnomah Falls

 Bridal Veil Falls

 Horsetail Falls

Shepperd's Dell

Fort Stevens to Cannon Beach Oregon

We stayed at the Fort Stevens campground and hiked down to the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale.

There's a marsh between the campground and the beach and a fair amount of mosquitos live there.

The next morning we went to see the old fort which was used during the Civil War and WWII.

Challenge accepted. 

Breakfast at Crepe Neptune in Cannon Beach.

 

 Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

The view from our hotel at Seaside.

From Astoria to Seaside

Yesterday we crossed the massive Columbia river and stopped in Astoria at the Columbia River Maritime Museum which turned out to be pretty sobering, with a display on overfished salmon. Conservation statement wrapped around a... fork?

The chowder at Norma's in Seaside is really good comfort food!

In Idaho for less than an hour...

3-mile deer migration path
High wind/dust storm area
Baby rattlesnakes (and eggs)
Lamas, at the gas station

Adventure? Check!

I miss that Ol' Dial-Up Modem Sound

Back in the days of the BBS this was one of the best sounds you could hear.  It meant that you were connecting (or getting on-line) to a Bulletin Board System.  This is an endangered sound.  Much in the same way that you don't see many Model-T's driving around, most kids today will never know this awesome "noise".  Read more about the sounds here... The Mechanics and Meaning of That Ol' Dial-Up Modem Sound.

Isaac's Live Lip-Dub Proposal

Hike: Mineral Fork

Today I hiked the Mineral Fork trail up Big Cottonwood Canyon. The weather forecast for Brighton (which is farther up the canyon) was for snow, I also read weather notes for the city that included thunderstorms. In the end I was grateful for every last layer I took with me!

Poof! Here we are in the more of the alpine-y area which is where I turned around. The people I was hiking with were keeping a pretty good pace so I didn't have time to pull my camera out until this point. The trail goes up to the Wasatch Mine from here. (The group continued on and I heard there was still snow up there so they couldn't get to the mine, and there was an avalanche to circumnavigate.)

The stream-trail.

More of the stream-trail.

It's always nice to look back when hiking. Today I had an excellent view of the glacier carved canyon.

Water re-direct?

 Early spring flowers.

Squirrel homes?

 Just starting their year. 

More fresh leaves.

 Wildflowers.

It had been sprinkling, but really started raining when I decided to turn back. It was snowing at higher elevations. (See the snow dusting the mountain above the tree line?)

Later in the summer the trail runs thru a shallow stream. Not today.

This is the bridge. 

I wasn't sure if taking this picture was such a good idea on a wobbly bridge.

The bridge.

Another view from the bridge. I didn't fall off! Score!

The trail also runs through two cascades. Here's of one of them.

Here's both cascades from the switchback below.

Hope you are having a nice Memorial Day weekend!

Many thanks to our veterans.

Suz